Just Ask
by joursdepluie
Summary: A coffee shop, a mistaken identity, an insufferable rival, and a little boy named Monroe. This is an au fiction that I am working on. It will end up being M rated.
1. Chapter 1

There he was.

Kurt couldn't believe it. Maybe this was a sign. He should just go up to him and at least ask him to lunch or something. After all they did see each other almost every day and, the man _did_ know his coffee order by heart. As he entered the park, Kurt smiled softly and thought about the first time he'd seen Blaine.

Kurt had been in a rush that day. He had been pounding the pavement most of the morning and afternoon, running from audition to audition, hoping for a callback at the very least. The weather was just starting to change, losing the bitter cold of winter for the crisp, clean feeling of spring. Kurt loved New York City in the spring.

After a day of continuous rejections, now he was running late for his shift at La Grenouille, the small French restaurant he worked at while he wanted for the big break he knew had to be around the corner. No matter how late he was, he still needed to stop at the Coffee Bean for his daily espresso fix, otherwise he would not make it through the night without snapping at any of his customers.

Kurt would have loved to be able to spend more time in the little coffee shop that day. Ever since he and Rachel discovered it when they first moved to the city, he religiously got his coffee from the Coffee Bean. He loved the laid back atmosphere and always found it a great place to people watch.

As he approached the counter, Kurt couldn't help but notice the new and very attractive barista at the register. The man was a little shorter than Kurt with bright brown eyes and a head of dark curls that Kurt would love to run his hands through. He couldn't help but think that maybe his luck was turning around and his night might not be as terrible as his day had been.

The shop wasn't busy, so he quickly reached the handsome barista whose name tag informed Kurt that he was called Blaine.

_Hmm I think I quite like that name,_ thought Kurt.

"I'll have a quad grande skinny, soy mocha, please." Kurt rattled off.

Blaine just blinked. After a second or so, he shook his head a little, as if to clear it.

"I'm sorry. I'm a little new at this. Could you repeat that?"

Kurt couldn't help but notice the slight blush that had started to color the tips of Blaine's ears.

"Of course. May I please have a grande," he smiled when Blaine picked out the correct sized cup, "quad, so four shots of espresso, skinny, I would like the sugar-free syrup and no whipped cream, mocha, with soy milk instead of regular milk?"

"Thanks" Blaine looked relieved with Kurt's patience and gladly accepted his extra instructions. "Not everyone has been as understanding as you. I am new to the city and- you know what, I bet you have better things to do than listen to me whine. Sorry."

Kurt couldn't stop himself from smiling at the endearing man making his coffee.

"No, it's okay. I don't mind. May I also have one of those delicious looking muffins? I don't remember your muffins being very good. Do you know if you are getting them from a different bakery?"

"Actually, I made them." Blaine replied as he slipped a muffin in a bag and handed it to Kurt.

Blaine finished ringing up Kurt's order, sticking his tongue out of the corner of his mouth in concentration, looking for the right buttons.

"Well then, I guess we best be getting you on your way. That will be four dollars."

Kurt handed Blaine the cash, making sure to slip an extra dollar in the tip jar.

"Thanks. Here take one of these flyers. It is for a fundraiser by brother is having at his school to raise money for cancer research.

Kurt looked at the pink paper seeing the familiar breast cancer awareness logo. He didn't like to dwell on his mother's death, but he couldn't help the tightening in his chest. He slipped the paper in his pocket and fixed his face into a proper smile.

"Thank you for the coffee and the muffin. I'm here almost everyday so I am sure I will see you around. The name is Kurt by the way." Kurt offered a small smile that he hoped was getting the right idea across.

"Blaine"

"I know."

"Wha-?"

Kurt pointed to his name tag, earning him a bashful grin from Blaine.

"See you around."

"Yeah, see you."

Kurt left the Coffee Bean with a little extra sway in his hips. He glanced down at his watch, realizing that getting to work on time was not going to happen. It was a very good thing that his managers adored him. Although he was already dreading the flack he would be getting from his co-worker and best friend, Penny.

Kurt took a sip of his coffee, nearly spitting it right back out. It was awful. Wow, Blaine may be cute, but that boy did not know how to make a good latte.

That had been almost two months ago. Since then, Blaine's latte making skills had vastly improved. Unfortunately, up until two days ago, Kurt was no closer to figuring out the boy's sexual orientation.

They always made small talk whenever Kurt came in during Blaine's shifts. He learned that Blaine had just moved to the city and was living with his brother. He also learned that Blaine had an affinity for Katy Perry and karaoke, and also enjoyed watching the Buckeyes. Kurt may have also grown up in Ohio, but he could only listen to the boy talk about Ohio State athletics for so long.

Every time Kurt felt like he was starting to figure it out one way or the other, Blaine would zig when Kurt thought he would zag. Poor Penny had to put up with all of his whining and over-analyzing of every smile and free muffin. Kurt discovered that Blaine was a much better baker than barista. Blaine was always make sure that he set aside one of Kurt's favorites for when he came in around five.

The day Kurt caught Blaine obviously checking him out, he knew it was safe to assume Blaine was on his team. Kurt had left his apartment early that day so that he wouldn't have to rush out of the Coffee Bean before going to work. He always spent time on his appearance, however this day he'd been even more thorough than usual.

As soon as Kurt walked in the door, he saw Blaine look up and smiled. He couldn't help but think that Blaine smiled a little wider at Kurt than any of the other customers. Blaine had just finished giving someone their change as Kurt was approaching.

Kurt didn't see it coming until it was too late. The man who had just received his coffee collided with Kurt, sending scalding hot coffee all over his white button-up shirt he wore for work. Before he could even process the sensation of the hot coffee on his sensitive skin, Kurt recognized the man who had spilled the coffee.

It was Simon Parr. Simon had been the bane of Kurt's existence ever since he had started auditioning in New York. They had similar ranges, features, and builds, meaning they were often after the same roles. In fact, Simon had just beaten Kurt out for a role earlier in the month. Kurt did not miss the smirk on Simon's face when Kurt yelped from his shower of hot coffee.

"Oops. I am so sorry. I didn't even see you there." Simon said, sounding neither sincere nor apologetic. Under his breath, he added, "I bet that hurts. I always order my lattes extra hot."

Before Kurt could respond, Blaine came rushing towards Kurt.

"Oh my goodness! Come here. Let me help you."

The initial shock had now worn off and Kurt was definitely in pain from the hot coffee. Blaine started pulling him towards the bathroom, tugging at his shirt to get the offending material away from his skin.

"Take that off and I will go grab some clean, cool towels."

Blaine shut the door behind him, rushing off to gather the necessary supplies.

Kurt made quick work of his shirt, unbuttoning and removing his work shirt and undershirt. He hissed as he pulled the soaked fabric off his burnt skin. He knew that Simon spilling the coffee on him was no accident. Simon liked to play dirty. Kurt had just started thinking of the different ways he could exact revenge on Simon with when he felt cool air on his skin. He turned to see Blaine standing with the door open, having returned with towels and burn ointment in hand.

Blaine seemed to be stuck at the door staring. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off Kurt's bare chest and stomach. His mouth hung open and the look in his eyes could only be interpreted one way, interested. Kurt cleared his throat, hoping to snap Blaine out of his trance.

Blaine blinked and shook his head.

"Oh, uh, sorry. Here, I brought you some towels and ointment. I don't know what we can do about your shirt though. Do you have enough time to run home before work?"

Kurt took a towel and ran it under cold water. He then cleaned off his skin that was still damp with coffee.

"I don't have enough time to go home. I think that I have an extra shirt at work that I can use. "

Kurt noticed that Blaine's eyes were having trouble staying on his face.

_Well I might as well have a little fun with this_ thought Kurt as he began to apply the burn ointment to his chest.

Kurt was rubbing his fingers along his chest, circling his nipples, before trailing his hands down to his stomach. He was tempted to dip them lower, but didn't want to push Blaine too far. Kurt knew he didn't have a perfect body, but he was proud of the way he looked. Apparently Blaine felt the same way, as he couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of Kurt's toned abs and slim waist.

"Oh, okay, good." Blaine squeaked. Kurt spotted a blush forming at the tips of Blaine's ears and couldn't help but smile.

"Are you okay? You are looking a little warm."

"Yeah! No! Yes, I am fine. I'll go see if I can find a shirt for you to wear to work. Wouldn't want to you have to walk around shirtless."

Blaine backed out of the bathroom, running into the door before he could properly get a grip on the door handle to open it.

Kurt smirked as the flustered Blaine rushed from the room. His plan seemed to have worked.

That day had Kurt left the Coffee Bean, wearing an old OSU tee-shirt that Blaine had in his bag, _"I promise it is clean. It is just the shirt that I would have worn at the gym tonight." _and a huge smile. Blaine has to be gay. The looks he had given Kurt, the blushing, he just _had_ to be.

When Kurt arrived at La Grenouille, Penny was giving him the strangest look.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"Nice to see you too. Well if you must know, that bitch Simon spilled hot coffee on me, but it's okay because Blaine is gay!"

"What? Did he finally come out and say it?"

"Well no, but I am just positive he is." Kurt then told Penny about his eventful trip to the Coffee Bean.

Two days later, here he was.

In the park.

Kurt had never seen Blaine outside of the Coffee Bean. He looked even better now than he did at work. He was wearing a nicely fitted, gray striped polo that Kurt recognized as a Ben Sherman creation tucked into a dark wash, sinfully tight pair of jeans with a nice belt. When he was not in his lose tee-shirt and slouchy khakis he wore to work, Kurt could tell Blaine had an even better body than he expected and great style. Kurt made up his mind.

"Finn, let's go over here. I see a friend over by the fountain."

"Kurt, why are you smiling like that? Friend? Who is this friend?"

"Shush Finn" Kurt led the way towards Blaine, and that was when Kurt saw him.

The little boy that could only be Blaine's son.

Blaine had a son, and by the looks of him, he was about five years old. It was like looking at a miniature Blaine, they were even dressed similar. The young boy had an even messier mop of dark curls on top of his head and was running around in a navy polo and khaki pants with little whales on them. Kurt could not deny that the little boy was adorable.

Kurt was in shock. How could he have read that situation so wrong? And then as if it couldn't get any worse, Blaine noticed him. It all happened so fast. Blaine waving, Kurt panicking, and Finn, reading the cues surprisingly well, pulling his step-brother protectively under his arm and turning them quickly in the other direction.

Finn didn't know what was wrong, but knew Kurt was upset and it had something to do with the curly haired man by the fountain. He sent him one final glare over his shoulder and led Kurt home.


	2. Chapter 2

The excited butterflies in his stomach had disappeared almost as quickly as they had arrived. Blaine now felt like his heart was in his stomach. Had he read the signs completely wrong? He had thought that Kurt was into him, but judging by the horrified look on Kurt's face and the imposing boyfriend, he had been mistaken.

Blaine dropped his waving hand quickly and tried to compose himself as he watched Kurt practically running away from him. He turned his attention to Monroe. It was time to get him home for dinner anyway.

As soon as they entered the apartment, Blaine could sense something was wrong. He quickly located Cooper sitting in his room with a picture of his late wife in one hand and a bottle of Jack in the other.

Blaine couldn't handle this right now.

"Coop, go get in the shower and sober up. We'll talk about this later." Blaine directed his older brother, trying to be sympathetic, but tired after his long day.

Cooper looked surprised to see Blaine in his bedroom, but eventually did as he was told. He stood and stumbled into his bathroom, not bothering to shut the door behind him.

"Where's Daddy?" Monroe asked when Blaine returned to living room. The little boy was sitting at the coffee table coloring with crayons in his favorite coloring book.

Blaine sighed, "He's getting cleaned up. Want to help me with dinner?"

Blaine and Monroe moved into the kitchen, deciding that tonight was a good night for tacos. Blaine set Monroe up to shred the lettuce and grate some cheese before starting to brown the ground turkey and chop up a few tomatoes and onions.

Blaine tried to listen to Monroe's chattering, but he couldn't get his mind off of what happened in the park.

Kurt was clearly into men, just apparently not Blaine. The man that Blaine saw Kurt with was quite a bit bigger than himself and had a more masculine look about him.

Maybe he just wasn't Kurt's type, yet Blaine was so certain that Kurt had been flirting with him.

"And then the knight slayed the dinosaur with his lightsaber and saved the princess so that they could go play in the sandbox together."

"Wow buddy, that was such a great story." Blaine replied absent mindedly.

"That wasn't a story. You asked what I did today at the park," Monroe replied in an exasperated tone that was adorable coming out of the five year olds mouth.

Blaine smiled fondly at his nephew.

At first, he hadn't known if giving up his job and moving to New York to help raise him was a good idea, but he knew now that it was the best decision he could have made. Blaine didn't want to imagine not having Monroe in his life.

"Of course. Can you set the table? Everything is almost ready."

Just as Blaine had set the final bowl of taco toppings on the table, Cooper appeared in their tiny dining room, looking a little damp but relatively put together.

"Hey kid!" he said ruffling Monroe's already messy curls, earning himself a glare from the youngest Anderson. "How was the park?"

Monroe immediately began flattening his unruly hair.

"Fun, but Uncle Blaine got upset because his friend wouldn't play with him."

Blaine coughed, choking on the water that he had been attempting to swallow.

How had Monroe known that? Was the little boy really that perceptive or was Blaine just that obvious? He guessed it was a combination of the two.

"Oh really? What friend would that be Blaine? I have never heard you talk about anyone. Is it someone from work?" Cooper inquired.

Blaine noticed Cooper looking at him with a hopeful gleam, latching onto this new information. He knew Copper felt guilty that he had pretty much given up his old life to run to his big brother's side and he wanted to make sure Blaine was happy.

Cooper was right. Blaine hadn't talk about anyone significant since he had moved to the city. Blaine was having a hard time meeting new people and making good friends.

Sure, there were the people he worked with, but most of them were younger kids working their way through college. Blaine was past that stage in his life. Outside of work, the only person Blaine spent a lot of time with was Monroe, and oddly enough, the five year old was not a good wing man for the type of suitor Blaine was looking for.

The two spent most days exploring the city or playing in the park while Cooper was at work.

"I don't know what Monroe here thinks he saw, but it was no one, just one of my regulars from work. He was walking in the park and I waved at him." Blaine hoped he sounded convincing. He knew that his brother had a talent for seeing right through him.

"Mhmm, if you say so."

Crap. Apparently he hadn't been too convincing.

"Enough about me, Monroe slayed a dinosaur today." Blaine said quickly.

His attempt to shift the attention off of himself went swimmingly as Monroe started chatting animatedly, recounting his harrowing tale of fierce beasts and damsels in distress.

Later that night, after dinner was cleaned up and Monroe was bathed and in bed with a story from his father and a kiss from his uncle, Blaine and Cooper finally got a chance to sit in the living room and talk.

"So, want to tell me what happened today? You were doing so much better." Blaine asked gently.

"I was reading a monologue written by one of my student's today about a little boy who had lost his mother when he was young and the pain it had caused him and how it taught him to be strong. I couldn't help but see the parallels between the boy in the monologue and Monroe," answered Cooper.

The look of pain on Cooper's face brought back memories of many nights spent in hospital waiting rooms with Monroe dozing on one side of him and Cooper on the other, alternating between staring blankly at the wall and pacing the small room.

Blaine remembered the constants texts updating him on his sister-in-law's fight with breast cancer and the tearful late-night phone calls looking for reassurance and support.

It had been his first year teaching at his old high school, Dalton Academy in Westerville, Ohio. Blaine knew he was very lucky to be given the chance to teach European History at this prestigious school right out of college. It was not an easy decision, but Blaine never regretted giving up his position to help out his brother.

Cooper Anderson had been put through the ringer and suffered the loss of the love of his life way too early in life. And then to top it off, he had his young son who needed him. Blaine did what he could to help Cooper, whether it was watching Monroe, running errands, or just listening.

"Rachel, she's the one who wrote the monologue, said it was based off her roommate. Her performance was amazing, totally believable. She is actually one of my best students, but she has this really weird obsession with gold stars. But enough wallowing, what about you? Who is this 'friend' Monroe saw?" Cooper asked, pointedly.

Blaine had been right when he assumed he hadn't fooled his brother at dinner.

Rubbing his face with both hands Blaine started, "He's no one, just some guy who I thought I had a connection with, but he obviously does not feel the same way."

"Did he come out a say that?"

"Well no, but when he saw me in the park this afternoon he could not get away from me fast enough. Not to mention he was with his linebacker boyfriend."

"It's his loss then. I will have you know, that my baby brother is quite the catch."

Cooper went to ruffle Blaine's hair, but Blaine moved faster; he had a lot of experience dodging his brother's attacks.

"Alright, alright I'm off to bed. Early morning with my Master's class."

Blaine stayed up to bake the muffins for the next morning. As he worked, he kept playing over every interaction he had ever had with Kurt in his head. Kurt had always seemed interested, eager even, for Blaine's attention.

How had their signals gotten crossed? Blaine was pretty sure his feelings were clear. He always made extra time for Kurt when he came in and saved his favorite muffin for him just in case Kurt was hungry before work.

He _was_ pretty sure that Kurt had caught him gawking two days earlier during the spilt coffee ordeal. Maybe that was what was wrong? Did Kurt feel uncomfortable around him? Think he would try something or was some creepy stalker? Blaine hoped not.

He finished cleaning up after himself and boxed up the fresh muffins, ready for the next morning's rush.

As Blaine started to get ready for bed, he decided there was nothing he could do about Kurt right now and it was best not to let it get to him. The next time he saw Kurt, he would just have to make sure he knew that Blaine was a perfect gentleman and would never do anything untoward.

Blaine could handle just being friends with Kurt, right? Sure, Kurt had been on his mind ever since the two met at the Coffee Bean and Kurt had been so kind. And yes, Blaine had spent the last two nights having dreams filled with Kurt's broad, toned chest and slim waist, waking harder than he ever had even as a teenager, but Blaine could handle this.

He could.

_Sure Blaine, just keep telling yourself that._

It had been a long day, running around the city with Monroe. The little boy had an obsession with art museums that was endearing until you have been to the Museum of Modern Art three times in one week. Blaine was having a hard time focusing anyway. He was getting antsy about seeing Kurt later at work. What if he didn't come in? What if he never came in again? What if Blaine never saw Kurt again?

_Whoa slow down buddy. Breathe in, breathe out. It's going to be okay._

That afternoon, getting ready for work, Blaine spent a little extra time taming his hair and making sure he looked as good as he could in his hideous work uniform.

Kurt always came in around five so Blaine had at least two hours of work before Kurt might arrive. Those two hours were spent spilling coffee and messing up at the register. He could not focus. Just when Blaine was about to have a nervous breakdown, it happened.

Kurt walked through the door, with his head down and a straight face.

_Oh no, this can't be good._ "Hey Kurt, the usual?"

"Yep, but no muffin," Kurt replied, shortly.

Blaine noticed Kurt was avoiding his eye contact. He knew he shouldn't take it personally that Kurt didn't want a muffin. After all, it was just a muffin, but Blaine felt like Kurt was rejecting him.

"So I think I saw you in the park yesterday. I waved but I guess you didn't see me." Blaine tried to get a conversation started.

"I saw you."

Kurt had an impassive look on his face, almost asking Blaine to challenge him.

Blaine didn't know what to say. Kurt clearly did not want to have a conversation. "Oh, okay, well here's your coffee."

"Yep."

Kurt paid and left, not giving Blaine a second glance. He felt like he had been kicked in the gut. What had he done? Clearly he has offended Kurt.

"Hello handsome, why the long face?"

Blaine blinked, looking at the next customer. He was also a regular, not bad looking, and blatant about his attraction to Blaine. Blaine had never really given him much thought because he spent so much time thinking about Kurt.

"It's nothing. The usual?"

"Sounds good and one of those delicious looking muffins. Oh and mind adding your number?" the man asked with a smile that was apparently supposed to be alluring.

_Well what could it hurt?_ Blaine thought.

He knew that he needed to start getting out and meeting people and maybe this would help him get over the stupid, little crush he had developed on Kurt.

"I think that can be arranged."

With a small smile, Blaine took the man's cash, noticing that the man added a little caress when their hands came in contact. Handing over the coffee, Blaine jotted his number on the side of the cup along with his name.

"Thanks. I hope your day gets better. I'm Simon by the way."


	3. Chapter 3

"Who the hell does he think he is?"

Penny jumped at the sound of the kitchen door slamming open. She looked up to see a fuming Kurt, coffee in hand, looking irate.

"He can't possibly think I would be interested in a closet-case with a kid."

"Calm down babe, you are going to give yourself frown lines and then all the moisturizer in the world isn't going to help you.

"I just don't understand what he is thinking. He has a _child_, for Christ's sake."

Penny had gotten the full run down of yesterday's events in a long and late night phone call with a distraught Kurt the previous evening. He had gone through such an emotional roller coaster during their conversation and she had been supportive and listened through it all. First, he felt shocked. He couldn't believe that he had read the situation so wrong. Then came the anger. He was pissed. He felt misled and tricked. Was Blaine playing a cruel joke on him? Was he waiting for an opportunity to harm Kurt somehow?

Penny had spent a lot of time reminding Kurt that he wasn't in Ohio anymore and that they weren't teenagers. Kurt still had trust issues stemming from his time in high school.

When Penny had finally told Kurt she needed to get some sleep, he had settled into a bit of a depression. Kurt had gotten his hopes up (something he rarely does) and the world had once again disappointed him. He felt validated to keep his walls up and continue to not let people into his life.

Kurt had apparently landed on anger again.

Throughout Kurt's little tantrum, she had been rolling silverware for the night ahead.

"You look like you are winding up for a bit of a scene. At least help me while you do it, princess."

Kurt glared at his co-worker, but there was no heat behind it. He was so grateful to have her. She was such a great listener even if her brutal honesty was sometimes hard to bear. Ever since they met at work and learned that they both aspired to be on Broadway, they had clicked. Although he loved living with his step-brother and his fiancée, Kurt also needed someone else to center him and Penny was perfect at it.

Sitting down with a sigh and picking up two forks and a knife, he began rolling.

"He acted like nothing was different, almost like I was the one hurting him somehow. This is what I get for putting myself out there."

"For the record, you didn't _actually_ put yourself out there. You never even asked him out or made a move."

"That's not the point." Kurt snapped. A little quieter, he added, "I was starting to think this would really turn into something good."

Penny could see the pain in his eyes. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like for him in high school in Ohio, but every now and then when Kurt let his guard down, she could see the fragile, damaged boy McKinley High had left behind. Kurt had walls up so high when it came to romance and love that she could only imagine how his formative years had been.

"Look Kurt, I'm sorry. I know it sucks having your heart played with, and you deserve so much better anyways. I am sure one day you will meet your prince charming. Until then, you have me."

As an after thought Penny added, "and alcohol," accompanied by a mischievous wink.

The dinner rush was just starting to die down when Kurt got sat a table of two businessmen who looked to be in their 40's. These two men were obviously trying to cling to their fading youth, with slicked back hair, dated suits, and gaudy jewelery.

"Hello gentlemen, welcome to La Grenouille. My name is Kurt and it will be my pleasure to take care of you this evening."

"I am sure it would." the darker haired man muttered, eyeing Kurt like he was trash.

Kurt kept a straight face. "Can I start you gentlemen with a glass of our house red or maybe a draft beer?"

He was used to dealing with rude people. It was part of the job.

"How about a new server instead?" blurted out the rude man.

"I'm sorry sir, but everyone else is full. Unless you would like to go wait for another table, I would be happy to take your order." Kurt's blood was starting to boil. Today was not the day to mess with Kurt Hummel.

After taking the men's drink orders and telling them about the nightly specials, Kurt escaped the table without any further incidents. Unfortunately, that didn't last long.

Kurt noticed that the second man had been pretty quiet so far. He wondered what that was about. As he was dropping off their drinks, the second man pushed his fork off the table and gave it a little kick.

"Well aren't you going to bend over and pick that up?"

He couldn't believe it. This man was trying to check him out while his friend bashed him. Kurt did as he was asked but made sure to crouch down and keep his front to the man.

"If you men are ready, I can take your order now."

"I know what I want, but you aren't going to be touching my food right? There are other people who do that?" Clearly this man was afraid of catching Kurt's homosexuality.

"Correct sir, I just take your order and deliver your food," Kurt gritted out, having a hard time not fixing the man with his usual bitch glare.

He ran straight to Penny after leaving the table for the second time. He needed someone to calm him down and remind him that if he spilled hot food on his guest's lap, he would probably lose his job.

When the men's food was ready, Kurt asked Penny to drop it off but she was too busy with her own tables. Reluctantly, Kurt approached the table. He could see the rude man fixing his face into one of displeasure the second he saw Kurt.

As he set the plates on the table, he immediately started complaining.

"What the hell is this?"

"It is the beef short rib with black truffle potato mousseline and Brussels sprouts you ordered, sir" Kurt was getting exasperated.

"It is so small and faggy looking with all this green shit and sauces. I wanted something substantial; a real man needs actual food, not that you would know."

Kurt couldn't handle it anymore. "I am sorry you can unhappy with what you ordered. Let me go grab my manager and hopefully we can find a way to fix the situation."

He could not get away from the table fast enough. For the second time that day Kurt slammed the kitchen door open.

Kurt took care of his other tables while his manager, Sam, dealt with the table from hell. He knew that he didn't do anything wrong, but Kurt hated that he had to run to Sam for help. A little while later, Sam came up to Kurt, letting his professional face fall and looking just as pissed as Kurt felt.

"I am so sorry about that Kurt. I took care of it. They just need to pay now, but don't feel like you have to do that. I will have someone else go pick up the check."

"No! I can handle it. I am not letting those two idiots control what I do." Kurt walked up to the table, keeping his face passive and his shoulders set.

"I am glad that my manager could help you gentlemen. I will get these checks out of the way and be right back with your cards and receipts."

Kurt was at the computer in the server's station, cashing out the table, when he felt someone come up behind him. He started when he felt unfamiliar hands on his hips, turning quickly to see the rude man's friend.

The man was way too close for Kurt's comfort and the look in his eyes definitely made Kurt uncomfortable. What did he want?

"I am so sorry for my friend's behavior," he slurred. Stepping even closer to whisper into Kurt's ear, he said, "Let me make it up to you."

The man's breath was hot on Kurt's face and he smelled on a combination of alcohol and cheap cologne. Kurt felt like he was going to be sick. Backed up against the computer, there was nowhere for Kurt to escape the man's roaming hands. He began to panic.

Then the man stiffened and his dark eyes shifted to a look of terror.

"If you would like me to not stab you with this steak knife, I recommend backing away from my friend Kurt here and leaving as quickly as you can."

Penny had come to Kurt's rescue.

The man jumped away from Kurt like he had been burnt. "I-I was. I was just trying to apologize," the man tried to explain. "He wanted it."

"I know for a fact that Kurt would never want anything from someone who dressed as poorly as you do. Didn't I say that I wanted you to leave as quickly as possible?" She began twirling the knife between her fingers.

"Alright, alright. We'll get out of here," the man said, raising his arms in surrender and backing up.

"And don't forget to tip Kurt!" yelled Penny to the man's retreating back.

Through the whole scene, Kurt hadn't moved or made a sound.

"Are you okay, babe?" Penny asked gently, eyeing Kurt with concern. She was clearly also shaken by what she had walked in on and was looking for reassurance that her friend was not harmed.

"Yes, yes I'm okay. Thanks for coming to my rescue. I can't believe I froze like that."

Both had seen Kurt deal with worse than that man with a sharp tongue and a seething glare. She pulled Kurt into a hug, waiting until he finally let his body relax into it.

As they pulled apart she said with a smile that she hoped was reassuring, "We need to get back to work, but drinks are on me tonight."

The two spent the evening spending the large tip left by Kurt's table from hell, bashing their customers and fending off suitors. Kurt ended up having to call Finn to pick him up.

As Finn was helping him up the stairs of their five-story walk up, Kurt couldn't help but think that he shouldn't have had that last drink. He hadn't eaten dinner and since he turned down Blaine's muffin, the last time he had eaten was lunchtime.

Penny had taken them to their usual hole in the wall, Dublin House. It was just a small place with good music and better drinks. The two had spent the night drinking away Kurt's sorrows, leaving them both a little sloppy and very giggly.

"Kurt man, you got to help me out here."

Finn apparently felt that Kurt wasn't carrying enough of his own weight, as they made their way up the stairs. Kurt knew Finn had to be a little surprised to see him this drunk. He never drank that much, hating not being able to control himself.

When they finally made it to their apartment, Finn unceremoniously dropped Kurt on their couch. Rachel and Finn were exchanging worried glances when Kurt snapped.

"I just can't do this anymore. Why do guys suck so much? He has a kid! And I can't believe that guy _touched_ me! I need a shower. And he has a kid."

Although he had started out yelling angrily, by the time Kurt ended his rant he felt only sadness.

Rachel rushed forward to give her best friend a hug and a shoulder to lean on.

"Everything will seem better in the morning. You need to just sleep it off. Let's get you ready for bed."

She pulled him up, dragging him to the bathroom to help him with his nightly routine. Rachel knew that if Kurt woke up and found out that she had let him go to bed without doing his moisturizer routine, he would never forgive her.

Once Kurt was clean and properly slathered in various creams and lotions, she helped into his bed, setting a small trashcan by his head and putting a glass of water and a few pain killers on his nightstand. She shut the door behind her, going to find her fiancé. As she slipped into her own bed beside Finn, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Kurt. She had been there in high school when Kurt had to deal with the bullying and crushes on straight boys. She knew why he had his walls built up, she just hoped that when the right person came along he would stick around long enough to break them down.


	4. Chapter 4

Blaine and Cooper had been following Monroe around the Metropolitan Museum of Art all afternoon and they were exhausted. It was Sunday, which was always a day set aside for the three Anderson men to spend time together. No work, no school.

Blaine felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. It had been going off constantly all day. He knew who it would be, Simon. Blaine couldn't fault the man for sending mixed signals. It was kind of refreshing to not have to wonder what his intentions were.

Blaine hadn't made any progress figuring out what had happened with Kurt. While he still came in almost everyday to get his coffee, Kurt kept his answers short and his eyes down. Kurt never got a muffin anymore, even when Blaine went out of his way to make the banana muffins with pecans instead of walnuts, just like Kurt liked it.

Blaine retrieved his phone when it buzzed insistently again. The message said,

**So am I going to get to see you later?**

He had told Simon that he was spending the day with his family, but the other man had been pretty insistent. They had been texting back and forth all week and Simon frequently came into the Coffee Bean while Blaine was working.

He liked the guy. They had some things in common, like their interest in music. Simon loved to talk about all the places he wanted to show Blaine around the city. Even though Blaine couldn't say he was falling head over heels for him, he did enjoy the attention.

**Maybe coffee later.** Blaine typed back.

He slid his phone back into his pocket, turning his attention to the painting Monroe was pointing at.

They were currently in the Impressionism section on the museum, which had always been Blaine's favorite period. He always thought that each painting changed with his mood.

"What do you see in this one, Monroe?" he asked, pointing to Starry Night. Sometimes Blaine had a hard time setting aside the teacher in him.

Before Monroe got a chance to say anything they were interrupted by a petite brunette woman, tugging on Cooper's arm with a surprising amount of force.

"Mr. Anderson! What are you doing here? Can I run this scene by you? I have some ideas and I have been dying to practice it."

Blaine didn't think the girl had even stopped to breathe at all during her bombardment.

"Oh hello, Rachel. It's nice to see you too. Actually, I'm here with my son and brother. I'm sure whatever you have is good. We can talk about it in class on Monday."

It seemed that Rachel had just noticed that Cooper was not alone. She turned and looked at the other two bewildered looking Andersons.

"Goodness, I am so sorry. Where are my manners? I'm Rachel Berry. It's nice to meet you," Rachel backpedaled with a broad smile. She stuck her hand out to Blaine to shake.

"Hello. I'm Cooper's younger brother, Blaine, and this little guy is Monroe." He responded as he shook her hand

Blaine stopped himself from ruffling the little boy's hair, remembering that is bothered the kid.

Rachel knelt down and shook Monroe's hand.

"Wow you are quite the looker, young man. So, what brought you to the museum today?" Rachel was clearly quite good with children.

"I love art museums! We come here every weekend," Monroe replied. He always liked when adults talked to him like he was a grown up.

"Oh really? Which is your favorite?"

Monroe started dragging Rachel over to Monet's _Rose Path at Giverny_.

"Wait, Monroe. I am sure Rachel has more important things to do today than hang out with us," Cooper said, stopping his son.

"Actually, I was just wandering around the museum. I needed to get out of my apartment and my fiancé and roommate were both busy. I would love the company," Rachel assured Cooper.

She held out her arm for Monroe to take and off they went.

_Buzz_

"Wow your phone has been pretty active these past few days. I don't think I've heard it go off this often since you moved to New York," commented Cooper as they trailed behind Rachel and Monroe.

"It's just this guy," Blaine shrugged.

Blaine hadn't told his brother about Simon because he still wasn't sure how he felt about the man. He knew he liked the attention and the company. It was nice to have someone else to talk to, even if they mainly talked about Simon.

This caught Cooper's attention, "Just this guy? Who? How long has this been going on? I need the deets!" he badgered Blaine excitedly.

"His name is Simon, and we met at the Coffee Bean. We are just getting to know each other; there's nothing to tell."

But it seemed that Cooper was not about to let this go.

"Have you been on a date?"

Blaine sighed. "No, not yet. We are trying to figure out a time that works around his schedule and mine. Not that I mind watching Monroe, but between that and work, there isn't a whole lot of down time."

"You know you're allowed to have your own life. I don't want us stopping you from having a boyfriend," retorted Cooper.

Blaine tried to reassure his brother. "Trust me. You are not stopping anything. I love spending time with Monroe and would not trade that for anything."

Cooper looked relieved.

"Plus I don't think I'll be using the "b" word anytime soon."

"Alright, alright." Cooper said, slinging his arm over his much shorter brother. "But we're still going to have to see what we can do about getting you some time to yourself."

As they walked up to Monroe and Rachel, the two were debating where the rose path in the painting led to. Both had some pretty creative ideas.

"Sorry to interrupt you two. Monroe, it's almost time for the museum to close. We need to head home."

Monroe's face fell. "But Rachel and I aren't done yet."

Blaine could tell this situation was going to go downhill fast. Monroe had skipped his nap and was probably a little hungry and very tired, which meant he could blow at anytime.

"I know bud, but we can't hold Rachel hostage," Blaine said, attempting to soothe the boy.

"How about this? Maybe next weekend we could meet at the museum earlier and we would have the whole day to hang out," Rachel quickly added.

"Daddy, Daddy! Can we do that?" Monroe began tugging on his dad's sleeve, making puppy dog eyes.

As usual, it worked.

"That sounds like a plan," Cooper conceded. "You know, Rachel, even though Blaine helps out with Monroe, we could always use a babysitter," he slipped in.

"Oh! I would love to do that. What do you think, Monroe? Want to hang out with me sometime when your dad and uncle are busy?"

"YES!" Monroe shrieked. He looked like a kid on Christmas.

"Let's exchange numbers. We might end up needing you this week," said Cooper

Cooper glanced over at Blaine, giving him a meaningful look. Blaine had a feeling that the meaning had something to do with his dating life.

"Sounds good. My fiancé is meeting me outside to walk me home. This was so fun. I'm glad I ran into you three," Rachel gushed as they left the museum.

They parted ways when they stepped onto the sidewalk. Blaine saw Rachel rush over to a tall, dark haired man, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before taking his hand. He did a double take, but he was pretty sure it was the same man he saw with Kurt in the park.

_What's that about?_ Blaine wondered as they headed home.

Later that night, while Monroe was helping Blaine bake the muffins for the next day, he asked Cooper about Rachel.

"You know Blaine, you are awfully curious about Rachel. Want to tell me what that's about?" Cooper asked after the ninth question about his pupil.

"Oh it's nothing. It's just that I would swear that the guy we saw Rachel with is the same guy I saw Kurt with," muttered out Blaine.

He knew it was none of his business and that he should stay out of it, but he couldn't help it if he still had feelings for Kurt. He was concerned, that was all.

"Look Blaine, I really like Rachel and I've met Finn. He seems like a nice enough guy. I don't know what you saw, but stay out of it. I don't want you meddling in our first good babysitter's life."

Blaine could tell Cooper was serious because he was pointing quite dramatically at him.

"Fine. I'll leave it."

The next day at work, Blaine was cleaning up during a slow period, when Simon bounded into the Coffee Bean.

"I can't believe it! I got a callback!" exclaimed Simon, not trying to hide his excitement.

Simon had told Blaine he was up for a small role in the Book of Mormon and had been stressing about it all week. It was just another one of the many Simon-centric conversations they had had.

"Congratulations. How about I take you out to dinner tomorrow to celebrate?" asked Blaine.

"What? Are you finally off rugrat duty?" Simon didn't hide his dislike of children very well.

"One of Cooper's students offered to babysit, so I could have a night off every now and then," explained Blaine.

"Well then, it's a date!"

Simon leaned over the counter, invading Blaine's personal space. Despite appreciating the clear signals, Blaine didn't always like Simon assertive behavior. Blaine needed more time when he was getting to know someone new before he was comfortable with physical affection. He couldn't help that he was a little old-fashioned that way.

The sound of someone clearing their throat behind them made Blaine jump back.

"Ahem, may I order my coffee?"

Blaine looked up to see Kurt, waiting behind Simon, looking very unhappy.

"Of course Kurt, the usual?"

A quick nod from Kurt and Blaine started his latte.

"So Kurt, have you heard back from the Mormon casting department yet? I just got called in for a second audition," Simon said, turning to face Kurt but keeping himself between Kurt and Blaine.

"Actually yes, I got a callback too." Kurt said through gritted teeth.

Blaine could feel the tension between the two men at the counter.

"So how do you two know each other?" he asked, trying to ease whatever was going on between them.

"Kurt and I run into each other a lot at auditions. We are actually both up for the same part in the Book of Mormon right now," Simon replied.

Blaine knew he should be rooting for Simon, but if he was honest with himself, he hoped that Kurt got the role.

He tried to make eye contact with Kurt, but he wouldn't look at him. He was doing a good job of keeping his aloof facade in place.

Blaine handed Kurt his coffee and took his money.

"Have a good day, Kurt," Blaine said to his retreating back.

"How do _you_ know Kurt?" Simon asked, probably a little sharper than necessary.

"Hmm? Oh, he's just a regular. He comes in almost as much as you do," answered Blaine.

"Well enough about Kurt, tell me what you have planned for tomorrow night?"

It was the day of Blaine's first date in a long time and he was ready for it to be over before it had even started.

Cooper had started nagging him as soon as he entered their kitchen in search of coffee.

"Good morning baby bro! Today's the big day."

Cooper was some sort of freakish morning person.

Blaine ignored him, grabbed a mug of coffee, and retreated back to his room. He knew he should be more excited for his date, but something was bothering him.

Blaine had the day off and was planning on taking Monroe to the park until he had to drop him off at Rachel's. He wondered if Finn would be there.

After a day running around the city, Blaine had cleaned himself up nicely and was walking Monroe to Rachel's apartment.

He was starting to feel a little nervous even though he and Simon had already spent a considerable amount of time together. There was something about the title of "date" that made everything seem more intense.

Blaine and Monroe had turned the corner onto Rachel's street and Blaine's heart skipped a beat, just like it did every time he saw Kurt.

The man had disappeared into the crowd so quickly that Blaine couldn't even be certain that the man he had seen was actually Kurt.

Blaine shook his head. He was trying so hard to stop thinking about Kurt. He was going on a date with another man, for goodness's sake.

They walked up the five flights of stairs leading to Rachel's apartment and knocked.

The door swung open and Rachel's giant of a boyfriend was standing there, all smiles.

"You must be Monroe. Judging from how much Rachel raves about you, I think I might have a little competition," teased Finn. "Come on in"

As they entered the apartment, Finn offered Blaine his hand.

"Finn," he said slowly, studying Blaine's face.

"I'm Blaine. Nice to meet you," Blaine said, introducing himself.

As the two shook hands, both were clearly trying to figure the other out.

Blaine wondered if Finn recognized him from the day at the park.

Blaine knelt down to say good bye to Monroe and remind him to mind his manners when he heard a gasp.

He looked up to see Finn gaping and pointing between the two Andersons.

"You. You are the guy from the park that upset Kurt."

Blaine panicked. He didn't know what to do, but his flight instinct was kicking in.

"Listen. I have to go. Don't say anything and I will keep your secret," Blaine said, trying to get a handle on the situation. He was surprised Finn would even talk about his boyfriend in his girlfriend's apartment.

He needed time to think.

Blaine turned to Monroe, "I will be back around 10. Be good."

He escaped the apartment, leaving Finn with a very confused look on his face. He was running late and knew Simon would not handle his tardiness well.

He had made reservations at a small french restaurant that Simon had picked out named La Grenouille.


	5. Chapter 5

Kurt had stopped in the Coffee Bean before work to grab his coffee and noticed Blaine's absence. He knew he wasn't talking to Blaine anyway, and it was none of his business, but he was curious where Blaine was.

Kurt didn't know what to think now. He had thought that Blaine was straight; after all he had a kid. But what was the deal with Simon? Maybe Blaine was a closet case. If he was, there was no way Kurt was going to warn Simon about it. Simon absolutely deserved whatever he got.

_Stop it, Kurt. You're supposed to be forgetting Blaine_, Kurt chastised himself.

La Grenouille was busy already when Kurt got to work. He immediately had to start taking tables and was too busy to think about Blaine.

By later in the evening, Kurt was having a great night. Every table so far had been pleasant and he was making good money. He had just finished saying goodbye to one table, when he quickly turned to greet his next one.

"Good ev-"

Kurt couldn't believe his eyes.

Seated at the table in front of him were Simon and Blaine. Simon was looking up at him from the table with a smug grin on his face. Kurt couldn't tell what expression Blaine had on his face, because it was focused on the table. Kurt did notice that the tips on Blaine's ears were turning red though.

_Courage, _Kurt thought.

He started again.

"Good evening, gentlemen. May I start you two with our house red or maybe a draft beer?"

"Kurt! What a surprise. I didn't know you worked here," Simon gushed.

The look on his face made Kurt think that Simon knew exactly that this was where he worked.

Kurt tried to smile, but he was pretty sure that it looked pained.

"Yes well, I do. So what did can I get you to drink?" Kurt was having a very hard time being professional and he didn't think that Simon was going to make it any easier for him.

"I want an Absolut cosmo," replied Simon.

Kurt realized he would actually have to acknowledge Blaine at this point. He tried to keep his voice even.

"Blaine? What can I get for you?"

"May I please have a Tangeray and tonic, and a water whenever you get a chance?" Blaine answered.

Blaine was clearly trying to be as courteous as possible to make up for his date's lack of manners.

"Of course. I will be back with those drinks and give you a chance to look over the menu. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

When Kurt went to the bar to get the drinks he finally gave himself a chance to freak out. Unfortunately, Penny wasn't at work that night, so he didn't have anyone to talk to. Kurt refused to believe that this was a coincidence. Simon knew exactly what he was doing to him.

He must have picked up on whatever awkwardness was between Kurt and Blaine and thought he could use it to his advantage.

As soon as the drinks were ready, Kurt pulled himself together and went back to Blaine and Simon's table.

"Where's my water?" snapped Simon as soon as Kurt set down the drinks.

"You didn't ask for one Simon," Blaine mumbled.

Kurt could tell that Blaine was uncomfortable with the whole situation.

"No, it's okay. I will be right back with that water."

Kurt used his time getting Simon's water to calm himself down. He knew he needed this job and if he carried out any of the many plans for revenge he had floating around in his head to Simon, he was sure to lose it.

"Here is your water. Are you gentlemen ready to order?"

Once Kurt had returned to the kitchen with Simon's complicated order and Blaine's, he took a second to run to the bathroom.

Kurt felt like he was going to throw up. If he was honest with himself, Kurt knew it was because he was not over the silly, little crush he had on Blaine.

_Why does this hurt so much?_

With a quick glance in the mirror, Kurt headed back to work. At least he looked good while Simon tortured him.

Kurt quickly checked on Simon and Blaine before taking care of his other customers.

When Kurt went back to drop off their food, Simon was leaning so far forward he was practically lying on the table. With their hands entwined on the table, the two men seemed to be enjoying each other's company.

Kurt cleared his throat to get their attention.

Blaine startled and pulled back quickly, looking guilty. His hands immediately went to his own lap.

"It's about time. I'm starving," Simon commented when he saw Kurt standing there with their plates.

"Here you go," Kurt said, setting down the two plates. "Does everything look up to your expectations?"

"I gu-," started Simon.

"It looks perfect. Thank you, Kurt." Blaine cut in. He gave Kurt a small smile.

Kurt ignored the excited feeling he got when Blaine directed his charming smile at him.

"You're welcome. Enjoy your meals."

The rest of their meal was pretty uneventful. Kurt was starting to think that Simon would leave without causing him too much grief.

As Kurt was clearing the empty plates from Simon and Blaine's table he asked, "Are we thinking about any dessert this evening?"

"Oh yes. I want a piece of your strawberry cheesecake," Simon quickly answered.

Blaine looked up at Kurt, trying to make eye contact.

Kurt resolutely looked down at his pad of paper.

"Just a black coffee please," Blaine answered finally.

As he dropped off the cheesecake and coffee, he set the bill on the table. Kurt was not surprised when Blaine grabbed it. This was clearly a date after all.

When he came back to pick up the bill and refill Blaine's coffee, he saw Simon feeding Blaine a bite of his dessert. Kurt didn't like the closeness of the two. He knew he had no right to feel jealous, but when Simon went to wipe the side of Blaine's mouth with his thumb he saw green.

_Courage_

"Is the bill ready?" Kurt gritted out.

Blaine looked surprised to see Kurt standing over them.

"Yes. Here it is. Keep the change," he answered abruptly.

Kurt picked up the bill folder and said."Thank you. You gentlemen have a good rest of your evening."

"Oh I am sure we will." Simon almost purred, licking his thumb that he just wiped Blaine's mouth with.

Kurt had to leave. He couldn't handle standing there, watching Blaine fall for Simon. Kurt didn't think he was going to throw up now, he _knew_ it. He quickly escaped to the bathroom.

When he finally returned to the dining room, Kurt saw that Simon and Blaine had left. He sighed in relief. He opened up the bill folder to see how much Blaine had left him.

Kurt was shocked to see that Blaine had left him a 50% tip on their bill. He felt that he completely deserved that, after having to wait on Simon. He couldn't wait to tell Penny about this.

Instead of going out that night, Kurt decided to just head home and open a bottle of wine after his emotionally taxing shift at work.

He had just turned the corner onto his street when he heard someone shouting his name. He turned around to see Blaine walking up behind him.

"Hey Kurt, wait up!"

Kurt felt his heart leap into his throat and he wanted to run into his apartment, but he couldn't get his feet to move.

When Blaine got to him, he was a little out of breath, but Kurt couldn't deny he still looked amazing. Even though Kurt had been distracted when he saw Blaine at the restaurant, he did notice how well Blaine filled out his trousers and shirt that made his eyes pop.

"What are you doing here, Blaine? Are you stalking me now?" asked Kurt, immediately taking the defensive.

"No. I was ju-," Blaine tried to explain.

Kurt raised his hand, stopping Blaine.

"What? You didn't see me suffer enough at work?" Kurt couldn't help the hurt tone in his voice.

He turned on his heels and headed towards his building. He just wanted to escape into his apartment and pretend like tonight never happened. Between the stress of having to compete with Simon for a role and the confused feelings he had about Blaine, Kurt felt a breakdown was around the corner.

Kurt picked up his pace when he heard Blaine following him. He chose to ignore him.

As he got to the door of his apartment, he saw Blaine was still following him. He turned to glare at Blaine and was revving up to snap at him, when Blaine cut him off.

"I'm not following you. Not everything is about you, you know," Blaine sighed.

"Hmph. Whatever," snapped Kurt as he walked into the lobby of his apartment building.

He was not looking forward to the walk up the five flights of stairs with Blaine.

"Where's Simon? Date didn't end well?" asked Kurt, digging for information.

"I thought you didn't want to talk to me," Blaine answered, not revealing anything.

Kurt didn't know why he had even asked. He didn't actually want to know anything that happened between Blaine and Simon. Thinking about it left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Just making small talk," Kurt replied, hoping he didn't sound like he really cared.

"Well, if you must know, our date went pretty well." Blaine's reply almost sounded like he was trying to push Kurt's buttons.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe we should just not talk," interrupted Kurt, before Blaine could go into any more detail.

They climbed the stairs in silence, both awkwardly aware of the other's presence and not knowing what to do or say.

Kurt figured Blaine wouldn't climb all five flights with him. What were the odds that they were both going to the same floor, anyway?

By the time they reached the top floor, Kurt was getting irrationally angry.

_Why did Blaine have to keep showing up everywhere? _Kurt thought.

It frustrated him that he had so little control over his feelings for the other man.

As they walked down the hall, Kurt wanted to ask Blaine what he was doing in his apartment building but kept his mouth shut and headed towards his door.

Blaine was still close behind him, just like he had been since they met on the street. Kurt was always aware of where Blaine was when they were near each other.

When Kurt stopped at his door to unlock it, Blaine nearly ran straight into him.

"Wait. What are you doing here?" Blaine asked, taking a step back from Kurt. He didn't understand what was happening? Kurt, Rachel, and Finn all lived together? Wanky.

"I live here," responded Kurt curtly, opening the door.

As soon as the door was open, they could hear the sounds of giggling and what seemed to be Finn pretending to be a monster of some sort.

"What are _you_ doing here?" It was now Kurt's turn to ask the question.

Out of nowhere came a mini-Blaine yelling, "Blaine! Save me!" and running to hide behind the original Blaine.

"I'm here to pick up Monroe," explained Blaine, trying to tug the boy out from behind him.

Kurt suddenly went very stiff.

"Oh. I see," he said, stepping into his apartment.

Blaine and Monroe followed.

"Kurt, I see you brought me a little boy to eat," Finn greeted him, not dropping the monster persona.

Kurt was so confused. He had known that Rachel and Finn were babysitting for one of Rachel's professors, but what was Blaine doing here?

As Monroe took off again, trying to escape Finn's "wrath" Kurt and Blaine moved further into the apartment, into the living room.

"Oh hey guys," Rachel said from the floor where she was currently cleaning up crayons and coloring books.

She stood up, "Have you two met? Kurt, this is Bl-"

Kurt cut in. "Actually, we have. Blaine works at the Coffee Bean."

"Really? Small world," she said.

"I hope Monroe wasn't too much trouble," Blaine said.

"Oh not at all. I can't tell who had more fun, Monroe or Finn," she responded smiling.

Kurt still had no idea what was happening. Everyone was acting like this was normal. He couldn't take being out of the loop anymore.

"I don't understand. How do you two know each other?" Kurt asked, needing answers.

"Oh, well, it's simple really. Blaine is brothers with Professor Anderson and Monroe is his son," chirped Rachel.

"Yes, so Monroe is my nephew. I live with my brother and help raise him," clarified Blaine.

Kurt just stood there, blinking.

So Blaine didn't have a son. He wasn't hiding a wife somewhere. He wasn't a closet-case. Kurt felt a little stupid. Why was he so quick to jump to conclusions and assume the worst of people?

_Well I know why I do that_, thought Kurt.

Now Blaine needed some answers. "How do you all know each other?" hoping he didn't sound like he was prying.

Rachel answered again, "Well we all went to high school together. Kurt and Finn are actually brothers."

All this new information left both Kurt and Blaine quiet as Blaine gathered up Monroe to head home.

"Say thank you to Rachel and Finn for watching you," Blaine prompted the little boy.

"Thank you, Rachel and Finn," repeated Monroe.

He tugged on Rachel's sleeve, pulling her down to his level.

"Can we still go to the museum soon?" he asked as sweetly as possible.

"Of course we can," Rachel answered, completely entranced by Monroe's cuteness.

"Hey now! Don't be making any moves on my fiancée now," barked out Finn with a laugh.

With goodbyes said, Blaine and Monroe left to head home.

Ten seconds after the door was closed behind them, Kurt sprang into action.

He ran out the door to stop the pair.

"Wait! Blaine, I- I uh-." Kurt was at a loss for words. He didn't have a plan for what to say next. He just knew that he couldn't let Blaine leave without doing something.

"Yes, Kurt?" Blaine didn't seem to know what to do either.

"Listen, I, um, I think that I might owe you an apology. Would you want to maybe get coffee sometime?" Kurt couldn't believe how stupid he sounded. He just asked his barista to go get coffee with him.

Blaine's face was expressionless and he wasn't saying anything.

The usually confidant Kurt was starting to have second thoughts. "We don't have to get coffee. I'm sure you're sick of it," he tried to backpedal.

Blaine started to smile.

_That's a good thing, right?_ Kurt reassured himself.

"Coffee sounds good. I have to admit I am a bit of an addict," Blaine finally answered.

"Great!" Kurt replied, with a little too much enthusiasm.

Neither Kurt nor Blaine seemed to know what to say next, but before either had a chance to come up with anything, Monroe let out a loud yawn.

"I got to get this guy home and to bed. We can talk about making plans the next time you come into the Coffee Bean," Blaine said as he picked up the sleepy Monroe.

"Sounds good," Kurt said, unable to stop smiling.

Before Blaine turned to head home he said, "Excellent. I could definitely use more friends in the city."

Kurt felt like the wind had been taken out of his sails a little

_Friends. Of course they would be friends. After all, Blaine was with Simon_, Kurt reminded himself as he entered his apartment.

"What was that about?" Rachel inquired before Kurt could escape into his bedroom.

Kurt had had a long day and he was starting to feel the effects of it. He was too confused and exhausted to play games with Rachel.

"I honestly don't know," he simply replied, as he closed his bedroom door behind him.


End file.
